Bhubaneswar: A newborn lion cub at Nandankanan Zoological Park died after failing to take food and liquids properly, bringing the zoo’s lion population down to 23, officials said.
Lioness Maya, who was pregnant for the first time, gave birth to two cubs September 7. One cub was stillborn, while Maya did not accept the other.
According to sources, Zoo authorities subsequently separated the surviving cub from the mother and began hand-rearing it. Despite the care provided, the newborn could not properly consume food and fluids and later died.
The zoo now has 23 lions, including 17 Asiatic lions and six hybrid lions.